Samsung to start producing Galaxy Note 7 next month, says report

Samsung may try to top the Galaxy Note 5 (shown here) by adopting a dual-edge display for the next Galaxy Note.

Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung may ramp up a hefty supply of its Galaxy Note 7 for an August rollout.

The South Korea-based electronics maker will reportedly manufacture 5 million units of its next stylus-based phablet for its initial supply, tech news site ETNews reported Thursday, citing an anonymous industry source.

For last year's Galaxy Note 5, Samsung produced 5 million units for an entire quarter. A larger initial supply of the Note 7 would indicate that the company expects better sales of this year's model.

In recent years, Samsung has struggled with weaker smartphone sales. But heavy demand for the Galaxy S7 smartphone helped revive Samsung's fortunes, triggering a 12 percent jump in earnings last quarter. The company may be counting on that same mojo to carry over to its next Galaxy Note device.

The new Galaxy Note could be unveiled on August 2, at least according to an image leaked earlier this week, as shown by blog site Sammobile and other sites. The tagline on the alleged image states: "The next edge is just around the corner." The Galaxy Note 5 is Samsung's current Note model. But rumors suggest that the company will bypass the Note 6 name to bring the Note's numbering in line with its flagship Galaxy lineup, which currently stands at S7.

Assuming the information from ETNews is accurate, Samsung is cutting things close by manufacturing the upcoming Note so close to its release. Samsung did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.